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Power

Activities related to the Universal Theme of Power.

Introducing Universal Theme of Power

Part 1: Introducing Universal Theme of Power

So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Power? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.

 Power can be Visible or Invisible

Part 2: Power can be Visible or Invisible

What are examples of unseen Power? And can invisible power be more powerful than visible power?

 Invisible Power Can Have Visible Effects

Part 3: Invisible Power Can Have Visible Effects

Can you think of times when power is unseen, but we can clearly see its effects?

 Power Can Be Fast, Slow, Loud, or Quiet

Part 4: Power Can Be Fast, Slow, Loud, or Quiet

Power may seem loud and fast, but it can also be slow and quiet.

 Power Big Idea Worksheets

Part 5: Power Big Idea Worksheets

Your students will investigate statements like: Power leads to change, Power comes in many forms, Power can be used or abused.

 Power – Blue Whale vs Krill

Part 6: Power – Blue Whale vs Krill

Sure, a Blue Whale is huge. But does a tiny krill have more power?

 Indirect Power – Lighthouse vs Magnetism

Part 7: Indirect Power – Lighthouse vs Magnetism

Students explore the idea of indirect power – which can be both visible (a lighthouse) or invisible (magnetism).

 Who has more power: the Queen Bee or the Hive?

Part 8: Who has more power: the Queen Bee or the Hive?

Sometimes power is concentrated in one place. Other times it is spread out.

 Power and Symbols

Part 9: Power and Symbols

When does a simple symbol have more power than a word?

 Power in Autumn

Part 10: Power in Autumn

Autumn was once powerful because of the harvest. What gives Fall its power now?

 Power and Traditions

Part 11: Power and Traditions

We compare the power of traditions shared by millions with smaller traditions shared by perhaps just one family.

Related Lessons

Universal Themes
Universal Themes
Universal Themes are an easy way to connect lessons, units, and content areas, even going across grade levels, and into students’ personal interests.
Punctuation Power
Punctuation Power
In a sentence, punctuation may seem meek when compared to those mighty words, but punctuation has incredible power over the meaning of a sentence. Students will try re-punctuating sentences to find new meanings – without changing a single word!
Numerator or Denominator: Which has more power in a fraction?
Numerator or Denominator: Which has more power in a fraction?
What do you do with students who already get their fraction operations? Give them a contrived project about recipes or pizza slices? Make them solve annoyingly hard practice problems? Please. Here, we get students thinking in a whole new way, pondering which has more power, the numerator or denominator.
Do Narrators Have Too Much Power?
Do Narrators Have Too Much Power?
Imagine being a character in a story. Are you worried that your story’s narrator may inaccurately describe you? What if they reveal something you wanted to be kept secret? Do narrators have too much power!?
Parentheses: How big of a change can they make!?
Parentheses: How big of a change can they make!?
Once students understand the order of operations, they often just get stuck doing increasingly difficult practice problems. That’s a sure-fire way to squelch learning, though. Here, students determine where to place parentheses to make the greatest change in an expression.